This will be a site to record my thoughts and musings as they occur. A 'vanity' blog or website. Postings will be sporadic as the nature of this site is not a conversation with others, but a monolog to help me in troubled times.
To Those who find good ideas, they are free for theft so long as attribution is given. They are to be *built upon* not used to demean and tear down. Ideas I present I do not declare to be *good* or *perfect* merely *better* or *different*.

When I was reviewing Polish history as a teenager, I was perplexed by it and the seeming inability of the Polish people to keep their homeland. I asked my uncle Edward about this and he looked into the distance (he had come from a visit Krakow the previous summer) and said:

"Well, the Polish people have always been split between those that trust and invite outsiders to come in and those that want self-rule and do not trust outsiders. Polish history is that between the Xenophiles and the Xenophobes and each waxes and wanes over history."

I nodded reviewing that history and much made sense with that. Always a free people and wanting to be free, but split on how to achieve freedom and keep it safe so that a majority could rule but the minorities would not be over-ruled. Perhaps you swung too far and allowed too few to decide the early course of Poland by saying 'Nay'. And yet you sent troops to the British Colonies as they revolted in America. Growing up in Buffalo, NY and being half-Polish, I heard the name Casimir everywhere... Brigadier General Casimir Pulaski. The honor of those brave Poles who came on horseback to defend the new nation called the United States Of America is honored still, to this day. We do not forget those who have helped us, even when, as a very young state, we could do little to help you.

In sorrow we could do little as your people and country were over-run again and again, divided up like so much booty between Empires as they waxed and waned. And yet, through it all, the Polish people perservered, adhering to their Faith and to ideals of freedom, liberty and justice. The 20th century brought more of the same, as Poland was free and then over-run yet again and again. When lost to Germany many brave men and women went to Britain and there enlisted enmass to fight against their conquerors. What was visited upon the Polish people was a true atrocity, 6 million dead, half of them Jews, a huge and gaping wound to such a small country. And yet you fought and fought and regathered and tried to win back your homeland, even from abroad. It is to the shame of all Western nations that We did not stand firm for a free vote by Poland and other countries after the war. That stain may fade, but will always be with everyone who is free.

And yet you kept Faith and resisted. Communists might rule, but taking in Poland was a poison pill to them in the end. War could not break that Faith. Famine and deprivation could only displace some of your people, and then they sent help back to you. I remember my aunt Jessie gathering up clothing and other dry goods to send to relatives. I clearly remember her saying about the parcels:

"Our relatives have told us that it does not matter what sizes of clothing we send. Just the kinds and general children's, men's and women's. If it does not fit in the immediate family it will be bartered for something else. It will change hands again and again until it gets to someone who needs it. Things we consider worn and old, they prize as they have so little. We also stash candy and secrete money away where easy inspections can not get to them, but the family knows it is there. American dollars go very far there."

And so it was that year on year goods and money and the promise of freedom were sent back. I had heard that you still prayed to be saved from Vikings and further south from the Mongols, still. When the memory of Hungary and Prague had died down and the Cold War had settled in, the people of Poland kept Faith with their ancestors and their dreams of a free people. Then a Polish Pope and then Solidarity of workers in Gdansk. Many worried that Poland would suffer the same fate... but they did not know the Polish people. I watched from afar as Poland struck the blow that would bleed the Soviet Union dry, the wound that could not heal: Workers in Solidarity together killing the 'Worker's Paradise'. It called the lie of Communism out into the open and directly to its face, and Communism started to soften and crumble. When coal miners who joined the strike were asked if they worried about troops coming in to force them to work, they responded: 'Let them dig coal with bayonets. Let them TRY.'

The Polish people pointed to the hammers that were available to tear down Communism and keep Faith. And to dream of liberty and make it a reality. With your stoutness came the resounding echo from America, calling an Evil Empire what it was. Many on the left quivered at that and the idea that a free people, yearning to be free should be encouraged to do so. But the hammers were there and others in Eastern Europe began to pick them up, one by one. Each strike, each blow, each and every denunciation of Communism by its own people, caused it to yield and crumble until the hammer blows became continuous until the edifice shattered and disintegrated.

Because of Poland and a People keeping Faith wanting freedom, liberty and justice.

Of all peoples on this planet, yours know what it means to do the hard, hard work to keep faith with your forefathers and give the gift of that faith to your children. Today you stand with that little country you helped to birth as it reaches out to the world, extending the gift you helped us gain so long ago to give to others. Your blood ran with ours in this land, and you have given us Faith to keep so that liberty, freedom and justice may prevail.

It is to our shame as a People, a Nation and a Government that we do NOT extend to you preference in contracts and work. Why give to Dubai or Communist China work that could be done by companies from Poland? Perhaps not the most efficient or the most modern, but you damn well put in a hard day's work and expect proper pay for that work. You know what it means to *do* the work and make the workplace better because of THAT. Why we do NOT include Poland in that circle of free and unfettered trade I will never, ever understand. If your people can do some things better than ours through dint of hard work, perserverence and keeping FAITH with US, then we should happily and gracefully hand them to you and say: "Thank You, You have EARNED them."

The Forefathers and Founders of the United States worked with Polish people who came here to help extend their dream of freedom to Us. And now you yet AGAIN speak the truth and keep the Faith and see injustice and dare, dare to speak of it openly so that all may see.

I am hard and deeply ashamed that Americans do NOT do the same.

Thank You, People of Poland.

May the Polish People always keep Faith and be a Free people in their hearts, their souls and their lives.

And keep on shaming your friends by stating the obvious so that we all may see.

THAT is the dearest gift you can give to all humanity: clear sight and plain truth.

2 comments:

Hi I am 100% Polish living in America.I know Poland in a great country and all but your missing the most important facts.France got taken over extremely quickly and they were already forced to "Germanize"Germany struggled with Poland for 3 months and almost gave up UNTILL The Soviet Union started killing us to and then we went downhill.Poland was a really big empire back then and the alphabet had 48 letters.Now today we have 32 letters.These extra letters were still polish and were recognized by other Slavic/Baltic countries within the Polish empire or later the Polish-Lithuanian Empire.The only reason Poland went downhill was when it was partitioned.This is because: When Poland stopped the Mongol Empire from expanding into Europe the other European nations saw Poland as a threat due to its immense power and then decided to partition it.Also the reason we got screwed in WW2 was because the Jews (Who were corrupt in Poland) started to go to Germany and Germany was like GTFO and blamed Polish people instead of the Jew people. Today Polish people don't like Jews and I hope you can now see why.The reason Western European countries are more advanced than Poland are the following:Spain/Portugual/Denmark/France/Great Britain were by the ocean and were able to colonize.(Denmark kinda took over Greenland but its nothing special anyway).Poland would have to go through Denmark to attempt to colonize and we were partitioned for doing the right thing. (yeah it sucks)Also Western European countries were saved by Poland. If the empire of Poland got taken over by the Mongols, then the 1000's of mini empires of Germany of the time wouldn't be able to protect itself, France would get pawned and probably even Spain and better yet the Mongols coulda even taken all of Africa. (If they could have taken over Poland they coulda probably taken over the world.)So then again, compared to Germany who took a lot of our land (We took theirs too) So Russia (now Ukraine and Belarus) have some of our land but hey... Less Nazi's more Slavic POWER!Germany is 137,000 miles big and Poland is 121,000 miles big.That's a big improvement from Germany (almost 250,000 to Poland 0) I'm glad Poland is awesome.Who invented the heliocentric system? Who is the world's strongest man? Which country had the 2nd constitution and the people got to VOTE for the monarch?

Marco Polo - As only half-Pole let me extend my thanks to you, and my apologies to the way our Nation has acted towards you. Poland has always risen from the grave it was consigned to by stronger powers and returned to see those powers dead. When the Jews were persecuted it was Krakow that gave them shelter and Poland was ever the beneficiary of that. Roman Catholic and yet welcoming, showing more humanity than others in Europe did and that, too, is a deep debt humanity owes Poland.

The birth of our Nation owes much thanks to Poland, and yet so few remember that and I can only sorrow. And the current and deep help Poland has given my Nation has not been returned and for that I seethe for there is no honor to my country in not acknowledging it. With so many with Polish roots I do wonder why there is not more attention paid to them, even with the establishment from Britain of colonies and France for monetary and naval help, it was Poland that brought us cavalry... to fight along side the colonists.

Forgive my wretched Nation for not having the Honor to say 'thank you' and extending its hand in generosity and friendship to Poland. I would prefer we honor our friends and allies and cleave unto them to be stronger with them... for the trust in blood needs to be cemented so that we can build a better future together. Instead we have chosen otherwise and will now suffer the fate of Nations that do not honor their friends and allies, and seek to wallow in succor to the mighty State and become enslaved to it. Poland has seen such before and now it happens again.

Yet Poland will survive.

Perhaps we will become a better people after we go through the self-made hell we enter. Otherwise we shall never leave it.

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Trying to save what thoughts I have in case my time for having them comes to an end. I keep many ways of looking at the world and from many perspectives, but they are each a part of a larger whole and reflect my thoughts and feelings.
Diabetic, cataleptic, naracoleptic, hyperlipidemia, cerebral atrophy, allergies and *still* glad to be alive. Founding and sole member of The Jacksonian Party. mail: ajacksonian at gmail dot com

What D&D Character Am I?

Alignment:Neutral Good A neutral good character does the best that a good person can do. He is devoted to helping others. He works with kings and magistrates but does not feel beholden to them. Neutral good is the best alignment you can be because it means doing what is good without bias for or against order. However, neutral good can be a dangerous alignment because because it advances mediocrity by limiting the actions of the truly capable.

Race:Humans are the most adaptable of the common races. Short generations and a penchant for migration and conquest have made them physically diverse as well. Humans are often unorthodox in their dress, sporting unusual hairstyles, fanciful clothes, tattoos, and the like.

Class:Wizards are arcane spellcasters who depend on intensive study to create their magic. To wizards, magic is not a talent but a difficult, rewarding art. When they are prepared for battle, wizards can use their spells to devastating effect. When caught by surprise, they are vulnerable. The wizard's strength is her spells, everything else is secondary. She learns new spells as she experiments and grows in experience, and she can also learn them from other wizards. In addition, over time a wizard learns to manipulate her spells so they go farther, work better, or are improved in some other way. A wizard can call a familiar- a small, magical, animal companion that serves her. With a high Intelligence, wizards are capable of casting very high levels of spells.